By Ayo Kehinde, Lagos
Few hours after successfully dispersing some ‘Yoruba Nationb Now’, protesters in Lagos, the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Police Force has denied killing a 14-year-old girl during the rally at Ojota, on Saturday,
The Command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, the claim that the girl, whose name was given as Jumoke, was killed by police bullet is a calculated attempt to create confusion and fear in the minds of the good people of Lagos state.
According to him in the statement; “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a news making rounds that a 14 year-old girl was hit and killed by police bullet today 3rd July, 2021 at the venue of the Oodua Republic Mega Rally in Ojota, Lagos.
“The Command hereby wishes to debunk the rumour and state categorically that it’s a calculated attempt to create confusion and fear in the minds of the good people of Lagos State and the country at large.
“The Command did not fire a single live bullet at Ojota rally today. The said corpse was found wrapped and abandoned at a distance, far from Ojota venue of the rally, behind MRS Filling Station, inward Maryland, on the other side of the venue, with dried blood stains suggesting that the corpse is not fresh.
“After a close look at the corpse, a wound sustained from a sharp object was seen on it.
“The news is false and mischievous. The Command, therefore, urges the general public to disregard the news and go about their lawful normal daily activities while investigation to unravel the incident will commence immediately.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, therefore commiserates with the family of the found deceased and assures that thorough investigation will be carried out.”
Earlier in the day, security operatives had dispersed the protesters at Gani Fawehinmi Park, venue of their mega rally, a major entry point into the heart of Lagos.
The protesters involving traditionalists, mostly women, outfitted in their white attire, had stormed the venue in their numbers when the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, was addressing journalists at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, that “no rally is allowed” in Lagos. Singing unity songs as they marched on, the women in their numbers, stopped in front of a police vehicle for few seconds before marching ahead.
The protesters defied the police and hoisted their banners and flyers while chanting “Oduduwa Nation now”, “Yoruba Nation Now”
The police responded by firing warning shots and spraying hot water from an armoured tank to disperse the protesters. Some fled while many others were adamant and ended up being dragged by the policemen into an armoured tank.
Those who fled the scene in different directions later regrouped at the bridge also at Ojota.
The traditionalists while speaking to police men urged them to protect them rather than teargass them.
The Lagos State Police Command had in separate statements on Thursday and Friday warned the agitators to shelve the rally, siting intelligence report that the protest would be infiltrated by hoodlums.
A combined unit of OP MESA, task force, and Rapid Response Squad and police officers numbering over 60, and men of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, are present around the vicinity of the park.
The security operatives who are fully armed are at the venue with armoured personnel carriers, Hilux trucks and others.
Just like Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, another protest flashpoint, Allen Avenue Roundabout, was as peaceful as it can be as road users go about their normal businesses under police watch.
Meanwhile, commuters on the Berger axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway suffered delay on Saturday morning as security operatives stopped passenger vehicles to search for “Yoruba Nation” agitators.
The security operatives also barricaded the expressway, limiting the numbers of vehicles that could gain access to Lagos.
The rally had earlier be suspended by Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias, Igboho, following a raid by the Department of State Services, DSS, on his house the previous day. He has also been declared wanted by the secret police for allegedly stockpiling arms.
But the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, led by Second Republic Senator, Banji Akintoye, had said there was no going back, adding that “It is the duty of Police to ensure the rally is not hijacked by hoodlums”.
“Our rally scheduled to hold on Saturday will still hold without any fear or intimidation and we promise to be peaceful like we have always been”, the Akintoye-led body wrote in a letter to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu; and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Akintoye, Igboho and their apostles have been going across the South-West geopolitical zone to crusade their secessionist campaign, citing injustice meted out to the people of the region as well as worsening insecurity as reasons for their agitation but the Federal Government has insisted on the unity and indissolubility of Nigeria
